Counter the saddest day of the year, Monday, January 21st, by hunting for happiness.

Past News Releases

The Secret Society of Happy People will celebrate the 12th Annual Hunt for Happiness Week beginning January 20, 2013 which may help offset what has been called the saddest day of the year, January 21st, according to British psychologist Cliff Arnall.

“After all the holiday mayhem, the cold temps and holiday bills can bring on the winter blues so sometimes we have to actually make an effort to hunt of happiness,” says Society founder Pamela Gail Johnson.

To help people recognize the diversity of happiness the Society has identified the Thirty-One Types of Happiness:

This year’s celebration will have a different theme for each of the seven days that focuses on fun and provides some resources to help people hunt for happiness. Happiness hunters can find the themes and get other celebration ideas at the Society’s web site, http://www.sohp.com.

“It’s nice when we are happy for no reason at all. But sometimes, even the happiest of happy people know they need to make an effort to find happiness,” says Pamela.

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Visit http://www.sohp.com to connect with the Secret Society of Happy People on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Secret Society of Happy People Highlights

Founded: August 1998

Purpose: The Secret Society of Happy People encourages the expression of happiness and discourages parade-raining. Parade-rainers are those people who don't want to hear your happy news. And no, we don't tell people to be happy if they aren't or how to be happy.

Creed: As a member of the Secret Society of Happy People I will:

Recognize happiness with the same enthusiasm as I do unhappiness,
Encourage others to share their happiness,
Don’t unnecessarily rain on other people’s parades.

Members: Thousands from around the world in more than 34 countries

History: The Society gained international recognition in December 1998 when it challenged Ann Landers for discouraging people from writing happy holiday newsletters to enclose with their holiday cards.

Since then the Society has:

Announced the Happiest Events and Moments of 1998-2011

Identified the Thirty-one Types of Happiness

Declared August and August 8th as Happiness Happens Month & Day

Nineteen governors sent proclamations in 1998

Organized HappyThon, the first online social media event to promote happiness

Organized voting for the Happiest Events, Inventions and Social Changes of the Century

Host Hunt for Happiness Week the 3rd Week of January

Seven governors sent proclamations in 2006

The Society has been featured in People Magazine, Newsweek and Time, and has been included in stories in Reader’s Digest, Prevention, Ladies Home Journal, Harpers, Yoga Journal, SELF, Redbook, Glamour, and New Age Journal. Founder Pamela Gail Johnson was on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.

Hundreds of print and broadcast outlets throughout the world have covered the Society, including CNN, The Associated Press, USA Today, Good Morning America (ABC), The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and Los Angeles Times. Parade named the Happiest Events, Inventions and Social Changes of the Century as the “Best List of the Century.”

A few websites that have linked to the Society include: Beliefnet.com, Good Housekeeping, DailyInBox.com, and USA Today.com Hot Site.

The Society has been included in Think You’re the Only One?, 365 Health and Happiness Boosters, Voices of Truth, Every Day’s a Holiday Calendar, Chase’s Calendar of Events, and Trivial Pursuit’s 1990’s Edition includes a question about Admit You’re Happy Day.

Pamela Gail Johnson has been an InspireMeToday.com Luminary in 2009-2012.